Principal Surnames in Ireland (1890)

Robert E. Matheson
1909
Chapter II

Principal Surnames in Ireland compared with those in other Portions of the United Kingdom.

The following Table exhibits One Hundred of the Principal Surnames in Ireland (including varieties) arranged in order of numerical strength, together with the Estimated Number of Persons bearing each Name.

Table showing One Hundred of the principal Surnames in Ireland (including varieties) taken from the Births Index of 1890, together with the Estimated Population bearing each Surname.

Population of 1890, estimated at 4,717,959 persons.

No. on List

Surnames

Estimated Population bearing each Surname.

1

Murphy,

62,600

2

Kelly,

55,900

3

Sullivan,

43,600

4

Walsh,

41,700

5

Smith,

33,700

6

O’Brien,

33,400

7

Byrne,

33,300

8

Ryan,

32,000

9

Connor,

31,200

10

O’Neill,

29,100

11

Reilly,

29,000

12

Doyle,

23,000

13

McCarthy,

22,300

14

Gallagher,

21,800

15

Doherty,

20,800

16

Kennedy,

19,900

17

Lynch,

19,800

18

Murray,

19,600

19

Quinn,

18,200

20

Moore,

17,700

21

McLaughlin,

17,500

22

Carroll,

17,400

23

Connolly,

17,000

24

Daly,

17,000

25

Connell,

16,600

26

Wilson,

16,300

27

Dunne,

16,300

28

Brennan,

16,000

29

Burke,

15,900

30

Collins,

15,700

31

Campbell,

15,600

32

Clarke,

15,400

33

Johnston,

15,200

34

Hughes,

14,900

35

Farrell,

14,700

36

Fitzgerald,

14,700

37

Brown,

14,600

38

Martin,

14,600

39

Maguire,

14,400

40

Nolan,

14,300

41

Flynn,

14,300

42

Thompson,

14,200

43

Callaghan,

14,000

44

O’Donnell,

13,900

45

Duffy,

13,600

46

Mahony,

13,500

47

Boyle,

13,000

48

Healy,

13,000

49

Shea,

13,000

50

White,

13,000

51

Sweeney,

12,500

52

Hayes,

12,300

53

Kavanagh,

12,200

54

Power,

12,100

55

McGrath,

11,900

56

Moran,

11,800

57

Brady,

11,600

58

Stewart,

11,400

59

Casey,

11,300

60

Foley,

11,200

61

Fitzpatrick,

11,100

62

Leary,

11,000

63

McDonnell,

11,000

64

McMahon,

10,700

65

Donnelly,

10,700

66

Regan,

10,500

67

Donovan,

9,900

68

Burns,

9,800

69

Flanagan,

9,800

70

Mullan,

9,800

71

Barry,

9,700

72

Kane,

9,700

73

Robinson,

9,700

74

Cunningham,

9,600

75

Griffin,

9,600

76

Kenny,

9,600

77

Sheehan,

9,600

78

Ward,

9,500

79

Whelan,

9,500

80

Lyons,

9,400

81

Reid,

9,200

82

Graham,

9,100

83

Higgins,

9,100

84

Cullen,

9,000

85

Keane,

9,000

86

King,

9,000

87

Maher,

9,000

88

McKenna,

9,000

89

Bell,

8,800

90

Scott,

8,700

91

Hogan,

8,600

92

Keeffe,

8,600

93

Magee,

8,600

94

McNamara,

8,600

95

McDonald,

8,500

96

McDermott,

8,400

97

Moloney,

8,300

98

Rourke,

8,300

99

Buckley,

8,200

100

Dwyer,

8,100